Watch Me Ignite, page 5
“Asshole,” I mumbled.
It took only five minutes of fiddling with the rods to realize I’d completely forgotten how it all worked. I hadn’t been fishing for years. Perhaps I should have thought this through a little better. I managed to put the poles together and get the rod rings lined up but attaching the reel to the rod proved more difficult. I couldn’t seem to get the feet positioned correctly so that the spool lined up with the rod rings.
I sensed Damon’s eyes on me. Amusement radiated off him. I would be damned if I was going to ask him for help! I set the reel down and concentrated on setting up the stools and keep net instead—that at least I could handle.
“Are you quite comfortable, Your Majesty?” I asked Damon acidly.
He waved a hand languidly. “Quite comfortable, thanks. You carry on.”
Muttering under my breath, I sat down cross-legged and pulled one of the rods towards me, determined to set it up on my own. I grunted with effort, squinting at the mechanism. But try as I might, I couldn’t get it to work.
I didn’t hear Damon move. All of a sudden, he was right behind me, his arms reaching over my shoulders to grasp the rod, hands right next to my own.
“Not like that,” he said. “You have to apply pressure here.”
I was trapped between his arms. His breath tickled my ear. I smelled the scent of him, all musky and masculine.
I forced myself to concentrate on his hands. He was showing me how to string the reel, that’s all. It was pure coincidence that he was practically holding me in his arms. I doubt he even noticed he’d done it.
Damon guided my fingers and soon we had the rod properly threaded.
“There,” he announced. “Team work, you see.”
I turned my head and found his face just inches away. His dark eyes locked onto mine. I couldn’t look away. I was suddenly very aware of his breath moving in and out of his mouth, of his arms circling me. He was so close. All I had to do was lean forward, press my lips against his and...
I cleared my throat. “I thought you didn’t remember any of this stuff?”
He backed away, breaking our contact. Why did that bother me so much?
“Yeah, I thought that too.” He shrugged. “It comes back to you. I’ll sort out the other rod but you can attach the bait. Deal?”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine.”
When we were kids Damon had always been squeamish about that part. It seemed not everything had changed.
We worked in companionable silence and we were soon sitting side by side at the water’s edge, rods arching into the pond. It was a beautiful day. The only sound I heard was the singing of birds and the drone of insects as they wafted through the flowers that lined the pond’s edge. I felt more relaxed than I had in ages.
I glanced at Damon. A small smile curled the corners of his mouth. Wind the clock back six years and the scene could have been the same. Alex and Damon. Best friends. Forever.
Except, it hadn’t quite worked out that way and I suspected I knew why. It had been that last night. What had happened between us...
“Can I ask you something?” I said.
“Sure.”
I sucked in a deep breath. I had promised myself I wasn’t going to go down this route but I couldn’t help myself. “Why didn’t you keep in touch when you went to college? You never answered any of my emails or messages.”
He shrugged, trying for a cocky grin that didn’t quite come off. “Oh, come on, Alex, you know what it’s like when you first go to college. It’s manic. New friends, new course, new city. And for me, a new country. There was so much happening I never seemed to find the time. I meant to, I really did. Only, the longer I left it, the harder it seemed to become.”
“So it wasn’t because of...what happened. That last night, I mean.”
Damon jumped to his feet, startling me. “Quick! I think I’ve got a bite!”
He grabbed the rod and began furiously pulling it and winding back the reel. I climbed to my feet too and squinted out towards the pond. If he really did have a bite, his rod would be arching into the water, fighting against his pull. But it wasn’t.
I wasn’t fooled. Damon didn’t want to talk about what happened between us and was trying to distract me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. For three years I had wondered if what happened that night had caused Damon to avoid me. For three years I had wondered if what I’d done—what I’d made Damon do—had destroyed our friendship. But it looked as though Damon wasn’t about to give me any answers.
Don’t push it, Alex. I told myself. Isn’t it enough that you’re here with Damon?
Yes, it was. I’d have to be happy with that. So I played along.
“Pull it in then!” I said excitedly. “It might be a whopper.”
Damon shook his head. “Shit. It got away.”
Well, damn, I thought to myself. Who would have guessed?
“So, what are your plans?” Damon asked as we seated ourselves back on the grass. “After college, I mean? You still planning to rule the world?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. He’d never understood my interest in politics. “Nah, I grew out of my world domination phase a couple of years back, when I realized ruling the world was all hard work and no fun.” I shrugged. “I’m not sure what I’ll do. Travel? Do some volunteer work? I’ve just done a stint at summer camp and really enjoyed it so maybe I’ll do something with kids.” I cocked my head. “How about you? You reckon you’ll turn pro soccer player?”
Damon picked up a stick and began shredding it. “I doubt it. My dad wants me to partner him in his business. He’s come a long way in the last few years.”
“Yeah, I guessed. The Porsche kind of gave it away. Do you want to join his firm?”
He shrugged, striving for nonchalance but that little hunch of his shoulders told me this was bothering him.
“You don’t have to do anything,” I said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
He flinched under my touch before turning to look at me. “Do you reckon? I...I don’t want to disappoint him.”
“Since when did you care about that? Have you forgotten what a waste of space he was when we were kids?”
The words came out before I could stop them and I regretted them immediately. Damon’s expression became dark.
“What the hell do you know?” he snapped. “You haven’t been here. You’ve no idea what’s been going on. I’m trying to fix things with my dad. Or would you rather I was on my own again?”
Shit, there was such raw pain in his voice that I gasped.
“Okay. I’m sorry.” I tried to lighten the tone. “Well, aren’t we the pair? Why can neither of us have normal relationships with our parents?” I was thinking of my mom. She and Damon’s dad would make a great couple. Neither should ever have been parents. Way too selfish. Way too self-centered. But at least I had my dad. Who did Damon have now his mom was gone?
I placed my hand on his knee. It was an unconscious gesture but he looked up at me suddenly and the look in his eyes made me pause. For a second, I thought it was anger but then I realized it was something else. Something I couldn’t quite put a name to. But it was hot, dark and sizzling.
I gulped, withdrawing my hand as a sudden heat flashed through my body.
Damon opened his mouth to speak but his eyes suddenly flew to my rod. “Hey! You’ve got a bite!”
I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my rod from its holder. My competitive streak came rushing to the surface. I was going to land this fish if it killed me! It was amazing how it all came flooding back. I remembered what to do once I had a bite.
It took all my strength. The rod arched violently and I held on with both hands, bracing the rod against my belly to allow me to turn the reel.
“Bring it in!” Damon shouted. He sounded as excited as me.
“I’m trying!” I gasped. “It’s strong!”
Damon came around behind me once more, and, like he had when helping me attach the reel, he enveloped me in his arms and grabbed the rod, his big hands either side of my smaller ones.
“We can do this together,” he said into my ear.
With Damon helping, it became easy. Things were always so much better when we did them together. With Damon pulling, I yanked on the reel, forcing it to turn, despite the incredible weight on the other end.
“Look!” I cried. “There it is!”
Something was slicing through the water towards us, right where the line disappeared below the surface. The dark shape looked big. Very big. And it fought us.
“Keep going!” Damon said, his voice tight with strain. “We’ve almost got it.”
I bit my lip, keeping my eyes fixed on the shape in the water. My arms were already getting tired but I forced them to keep turning the reel as Damon kept the rod steady. Then, with a last heave, the fish was yanked out of the water and came flying through the air towards us. The sudden lack of resistance sent Damon staggering backwards. He sprawled onto his back and I, without him to support me, went sprawling on top of him.
Giggling, I flipped over and found Damon’s face only inches from my own. He stared at me intently. I could feel his heart beating in his chest. His body was hard and warm where it touched mine.
Heat flooded through me again. With an effort, I forced myself to pull away and scramble to my feet.
A large silver fish was flopping on the bank. Damon scrambled up after me, deftly grabbed the fish and pulled the hook from its mouth, then dropped it into the keep net. We leaned down to admire our prize. It was huge. Far bigger than anything we’d managed to catch when we were kids. But then, we’d only been down the local lake, not a well-stocked fishing pond like this.
“What kind of fish is it?” I asked, leaning down with my hands on my knees. The fish peered up at me with one large round eye.
“No clue,” Damon shrugged. “A big shiny one?”
I straightened, raising an eyebrow at him. “You’re useless.”
“Hey, I never pretended to be an expert. This was your idea, remember. Maybe you should have asked to borrow a guidebook from that guy in the hut.”
“What, and make ourselves look like rank amateurs?”
“Isn’t that what we are?”
I grinned. “Hell yeah.”
This was it. What I’d wanted. Me and Damon together like old times. Ribbing each other. Having a laugh. But ultimately enjoying each other’s company. I looked at him and he looked back.
“This was a good idea,” he said softly. “I’ve missed you, Alex.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I replied.
For one horrifying moment I felt tears gathering in my eyes. What the hell? What was wrong with me? To cover my sudden discomfort, I pointed to the keep net.
“You do realize I’m winning now?”
“Winning?”
“Of course. My first catch. You’re still on zero.”
“Your catch?” he said incredulously. “You would never have landed it if not for me!”
“I never asked for your help. I would have done perfectly well on my own.”
His face folded into a frown. “Right, if that’s the way you want to play it, Chambers, you’re on. May the best fisherman win!”
With a chuckle I put some new bait on the hook and reset my rod. The two of us settled back on the bank, side by side, barely two inches between us. The afternoon passed in easy companionship. Having Damon this close after so long apart was amazing. We might have been the only two people in the world. We talked. We joked. We laughed and teased. How could I ever have thought he was a sleazy bastard? How could I ever have thought I no longer knew him?
He was still my Damon. The same smile. The same laugh. The same everything.
I hardly noticed the passing of time until Damon squinted up at the sun. It was touching the tops of the trees, sending bars of golden light between the branches. “We’ll have to be going soon. Doesn’t this place shut at six?”
There was regret in his voice. I glanced at my watch. It was 5.15. How had the day gone so quickly? I didn’t want it to end. I didn’t want us to lose each other all over again.
All of a sudden Damon jumped to his feet. “I’ve got a bite!” He hurried towards the edge of the pond but then glanced at me with a sullen expression. “Shit. Looks like it got away. I suppose that means you win, Chambers.”
He turned to face the pond. I couldn’t help it. A sudden mischievousness arose in me and I climbed silently to my feet and tiptoed up behind him. Then, with all my strength, I pushed him.
For a moment his arms pin-wheeled, making him look ridiculous in that expensive shirt he had on, but then he went crashing into the still water. I let out a delighted giggle that quickly turned into a squeal, as at the last minute, Damon’s hand whipped out, grabbed me by the wrist, and pulled me into the pond after him.
Freezing water closed over my head, sending a jolt of shock through my system. I came up gasping and spluttering. The pond wasn’t deep, barely to my waist, and I managed to get my feet under me and stand up. Damon was standing less than an arm’s span away. He was grinning like an idiot.
“I should have guessed you’d pull a stunt like that,” he said.
“Asshole,” I hissed. “Look at my clothes!”
“Look at your clothes? Do you have any idea how much this shirt cost? Anyway, you started it. Never could take your own medicine, eh, Chambers?”
Despite myself, I broke into a giggle. Damon joined in and soon we were hooting like children. I splashed some water at Damon and in response he darted forward and grabbed my arms, pinning them against my sides. He was incredibly strong.
“Now let’s see you try that!”
I struggled, but only half-heartedly. I loved the feel of Damon’s hands on me. We were standing close, barely a hand-span between us. I glanced up at Damon and found him staring down at me. All mirth vanished. That heat flashed through my body again.
“Damon I—”
I didn’t get any further because he suddenly leaned down and kissed me.
Chapter 4
My god, it was like the world exploded. All my thoughts scattered. Damon’s arms went around me, pulling me against his body. His lips were warm and soft and delicious. I responded immediately. I couldn’t help it. I kissed him back. Desperately. Hungrily.
Then abruptly he broke away and went floundering to the bank. I stood rigid for a moment, dizzy with confusion, and then followed him. He sat on the bank and put his head in his hands. I sank down next to him and laid a tentative hand on his shoulder.
“Damon?” I asked. “What’s wrong?”
He looked up at me and that raw pain was shining in his eyes again. “I’m sorry, Alex. I shouldn’t have done that. You’re right. I’m an asshole. Please say you forgive me.”
“Forgive you? For what?”
“For being a waste of space,” he grated. “For treating you like all the others. I don’t want you to be like all the others, Alex. Not you. Never you.”
“Is that...” I swallowed before gathering up enough courage to speak. “Is that why you don’t want to talk about what happened that last night? Because for that one night, I was like all the others?”
He looked away and I knew I’d guessed right. I took his chin in my hand and turned him to face me. “I haven’t regretted that night for one minute. You did what I asked and I’m grateful. I’m sorry if it’s caused problems for you. For us. That wasn’t what I intended.”
He sighed. “I know. It’s just that...” he threw up his hands, struggling to explain. “We had something special. Our friendship meant more to me than anything. Then you asked me to...and we...then afterwards, if I’d acted on my desire, gone for what I really wanted—you—I’d have wrecked our friendship. In my life I’ve destroyed everything that matters to me. Except you. So that’s why I never got in touch. If I contacted you I wouldn’t be able to help myself. I do things I shouldn’t. I’m a womanizer and a shallow asshole. I’d use you, just like all the others. I’d break us. So I’d rather stay away and have my memories of that night intact. To know you were still out there somewhere and you were still my friend, even if I could never be with you in the way I wanted.”
I stared at him in silence. It was my fault. It was all my fault and here he was blaming himself. I shouldn’t have done what I did that last night.
I shouldn’t have asked him to make love to me.
Memories of that night came flooding back. It had been our last night. The night before we both went off to college. I didn’t want to go to college a virgin and I certainly didn’t want my first time to be a drunken encounter with somebody I barely knew. I wanted it to be special. So who better than my best friend?
And it was special. So amazingly special. Damon had been sweet and gentle and kind. And he’d aroused in me a passion that shocked me and we’d spent the night exploring each other in ways I’d never experienced since.
I realized now it was stupid of me to believe it wouldn’t change things between us. Of course it would. How could it not?
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “You’ve got nothing to be forgiven for. It’s all my fault.”
I swallowed, unsure if I should say the next words but unable to stop myself. “And the truth is, I wish you had followed up on that night. I wish you had given in to your desires because I wanted it too. I was just too scared to admit it, even to myself. Hell, I still want it. You’re not an asshole. Your Damon. My Damon, remember? I know you won’t hurt me.”
Damon stared at me. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my face.
“Jesus, Alex. I can’t help myself.”
Cupping my face with his hand, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to mine. My eyes slid closed as fire enveloped my body. Before I realized what was happening, I’d wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close to me. Our lips moved urgently against each other and Damon’s tongue slipped into my mouth, his arms circling my back and pulling me hard against him.
Oh god. My thoughts stopped. I became unaware of anything around me. There was only Damon, filling my vision, filling my senses. I felt his arousal pressing against my stomach. I heard his breath rushing in and out of his nostrils. I smelled his scent, musky and scintillating.
